Chain.



Patented June 25, 1918 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

CHAINl APPLICATION FILED OCT. I5, 1917.

A. B. TAYLOR.

A. B. TAYLOR.

CHAIN.

APPLICATION FILEDA OCT. I5, 19H.

Patented June 25, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' `innen e, arno, or nn'rnorr,l mentalen'.

l cnam'.

- tamano.

. apeciacatton of Letters Patent. i

Application ledl @etober l5, 1917. Serial No. 196,599.

To/aZZ whom t may concern: Be it known that l, ARTHUR B. .'llnrnon, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne-and State' of Michigan, have invented a' new; and use ful Chain, of which the'following 1s a specification.

' llt is the object of my invention to produce adrive chain, anda cooperating sprocket,

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whichwill operate practically noiselessly, both when the chain isnew and after it is worn; which can. be made of links produced by punchingwithout any machining; which operates with a minimum of wear; and which while exceedingly resistant to wear 1s not brittle and has great tensile strength.

l have found that by making the chain links composite, of alternate hard and soft metal laminas, li obtain great tensile strength and marked absence of brittleness, together with' great wear-resisting qualities; and at the same time a great reduction in the noise of operation. These complete links are U- shaped and provided'with round ends, so that they may extend over a sprocket toothY into the notches on both sides thereof, and

n the 'sprocket teeth are provided .with plane faces where they are engagedv by thev round ends of the links which are astride them. By

such plane faces and-by having the notches between the teeth off'suicient depth, .the ends of the links do notrseat in the bottomsl of' such notches. The lamin of each 'com-r p'osite link are united into a single link b bushings in the" pivot holes, betweenwhic ybushings and thelaminae there is norelative motion and'consequently no wear; ,and

these composite links with theirA bushings are then mounted on pivot pins to form a chain of links in staggered arrangement, the pins being arranged so that vthey are fixed with relation to one set of alternate links but move relatively to the other set of alternate links asthechain articulates, so that all the wear at joints occurs between such pins and -the bushings of this second set'of alternate links. By this arrangement of wearing surfaces, andby the wear which takes place on the rounded ends of the composite links and the teeth of the sprocket, ll have found that ll obtain a substantial compensation in wear, so that the pitch ofthe chain still vcorresponds to the pitch of the sprockets and the parts coperate noiselessly even when material wear has occurred,-the points of engagement of the links with the Patented .diane 25, twill. i

sprocket teethmoving'slightly outward `ra-` .dally as such wear occurs. p 4 -The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.l Figure l is an elevation of a chain embodying my invention, .withy some" of the parts broken away; Fig. 2 -is a plan of 'such' chain, withsome of the linksin section; Fig.A 3 Vis a perspectiveview of onev of the composite links; Fig. lis an enlarged ee v partial elevation of a fragment of my improved chain and the coperating sprocket,

some of the parts being broken away ony dif ferent planes, sho-wing the c'oper'ation of the different link ends with the sprocket teeth in a new chain; Fig. 5 is al view similar to Fig. 4, showing (in great exaggeraftion) the eect of wear;-Fig. is a development section through the pivot pinsand the i i points of engagement of the chainllinks with the sprocket teeth to indicate Athe 'eect of wear, such effect being .exaggerated many' times in order tof 'make it 'apparent on the drawing; Fig. 7 isa section through a link formedof 'a greater number of lamin than that of Fig. 2; and Fig. 8 is a plan View of .a chain, somewhat similar to. Fig. 2, but

with a greater `number of links inthe width of the chain. f

Fach chain link isa composite link, cornsize and shape, but with laminas l() of hard metal alternating with laminee 11 of soft metal. l prefer to use steel for both the hard and the soft metal. Preferably the arrangement of hard and 'softmetal laminas is sym- `metrical about themiddle plane of the cornposite link, so as to obtain symmetry in the at prising a plurality of laminee of the same A actionof the link in its various phases, such l las wear, tensile strength, brittleness, rete.; and the link may be made up of any number of laminae. lin the form shown in Figs. 2 and 3, each link vhas three laminae, 'with a single softtmetal lamina 11 between two hard metal laminae l0; while in the form shown .in Fig. 7 the link has live laminae, of which `the ltwo outside laminas are soft, hard and soft laminae alternating throu h the link. Thus the outside laminas may be of either hard or soft metal. lin both Fig. 2 and Fig. 7 the symmetry of the arrangement is preserved, by reason of the odd number of laminas .andthealternate arrangement of.

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' soft laminae serve to give great tensile' The composite link thus made has great,

wear-resisting qualities because of the hard laminae used. It is prevented from being brittle because of the soft laminae used, which vsoft laminae take whatever jars the chain. is subjected to and preserve the hard laminae from breakage. In addition, the

strength.

silence. This silence is most surprising, and 1 have not been able to discover a fully sat- I .,isfactory explanation for it, bu't it actually existsas- I have determined from some very extensive experiments. ticeably in links of the ordinary s ilent chain type, ,where the link ends" are pointed, with plane surfaces for engaging the faces of the sprocket teeth; b ut it is even more marked 'when the links are provided with rounded ends, especially when such rounded ends cooperate with plane-facedl sprocket teeth by engagement with the faces of the teeth fof which they areastride and without-seating in thebottoi'n of the notches between the ,sprocket teeth, in the manner which forms part of the present invention andvwill be eX- plained hereinafter.

The laminas forming the linksare perforated atl their ends to receive pivot bushings 12, which project entirely-through all` the laminas of each composite link and are flush with the side faces of' such links, as is clear from Figs. 2 and 7. .The composite links are arranged ina staggered manner, as is usual in silent chains, and as is clear fromFigs. 2 and 8, with the links A alternating both longitudinally and transversely with the links B and overlapping thereupon withtheir bushings 12 registering; and pivot pins 13 are passed through the regis.

' ltering bushings 12 of the overlapping ends of the links A and B and through side plates 14 which correspond in longitudinal location'with the links A and serve to hold the chain on the sprocket. vThe pivot pins 13 are suitablyfastened in place, as by rivet heads or by cotter pins 15, so that they do -not turn relatively to the side plates 14 and the links A. Thus allJvear 1n the joints occurs between the pivot'pins 13 and the bushings 12of the links B, none occurring between the pivot pins 13 arid the bushings Moreover, this composite link of hard and- .soft laminae operates with almost complete It exists very no` indicated in Figs. 2 and 7, there being al- I 'ways one more link B in the width of the chain than there are links A, and the chain being symmetrical about the medial longitudinal line of the chain, on which line always lies a row of links A when the side plates 14 are used to hold the chain on the sprocket.

The links and the individual lamina:

lwhich form them are U-shaped, as clear from Figs. 1 and 3, so that each link projects over a tooth 16 of a coperatingsprocket 17 into the notches on both sides of such tooth, and engages the faces of the tooth of which it -is astride. Where they engage the sprocket teeth, the ends of the links are rounded in substantially arc shape with the axes of articulation as the centers, but at such points of engagement the sprocket teeth 16 themselves are provided with plane surfaces 18 oblique to the radii, which project convergently below the points of tangency with the link ends and are' joined by curves 19 of lany desired character so long as such curves clear the link ends, as is clear from Fig. 4, so that the link ends can not seat in the bottoms of the notches. The plane surfaces 18 on both sides of the teeth 16 are engaged by link ends, and preferably each face 18 is engaged by the ends of both links A and links B, when the chain is new; though when the chain has been worn Iaterially any link`end engages but one such' face 18, of the tooth havin which face such link is ast-ride, and througrwhich face the pull is transmitted.

l have found that with this construction I am able to geta chain which is practically silent in operation, which can be made inexpensively of unmachined punchings, has great tensile strength, which is not easily broken, and which has a long working life. The link ends enter the notches of the sprocket with practically no friction therewith, engaging the sprocket teeth with substantially no sliding. As wear occurs between the pins 13 and the bushings 12 of the links B, there is a compensatingwear between the link ends of both links A and B and the plane faces 18 of the sprocket teeth, and r the link ends cooperate with the sprocket teeth at a slowlyincreasing radial distance on the teeth.

I claim as my invention: 1. A chain composed of a plurality of composite U-shaped links comprising lalternate hard and soft metal `llaminae,said links being .in a staggered, relation with their ends overlapping andy lpivotally interconnected and each composite link 'having its hard and.. soft laminee symmetrically hrranged with respect to the medial plane-of the link. y f

2. A chain composed of a plurality of composite U-shaped links comprising altersymmetrical with respect to thelongitudi nava-ten 'i nate hard and soft metal laniinea'I said links being ina staggered relation lwith their ends overlappin and pivotally interconnected, and` `si chain as a Whole being ynal medial planel of the chain.' l

3. A chaln composedv of a lplurality of composite U-shaped links comprising alternate hard and soft metal laminas, said links lo being in' 'a staggered relation with their ends overlapping and pivotally interconnected. v

l. A- chain composed of a plurality of compositeU-shaped links comprising interlt spersed hard and soft metal laminas, said links being in a staggered relation with their ends overlapping and pivotally interconnected.

5. A chain composed of a plurality of o composite lll-shaped links comprising interspersed hard and soft metal laminas, said links being in a staggered relation With their endsoverlapping and pivotally interconnected and each composite link having 25 its hard and soft laminas symmetrically arranged vvith'respect tothe medial plane of the link.

6. A chain composed of a plurality of composite lll-shaped links comprising intertu spersed hard' and'soft metal laminas, said links -being in a staggered relation with: `v`their endsoverlapping and pivotally interconnected, theA laminas forming each link all' t5 shape.

being of substantially the same size and 7. A chain composed of a plurality of composite lll-shaped links comprising inter spersed hard and soft metal laminae, said links being in a staggered relation with their All ends overlapping and pivotally interconl5 composite lll-shaped links comprising internected, said links having rounded working faces at their endsl for engagement with the sprocket teeth.

8. A chain' composed of a plurality of spers'ed hard and soft metal Iaminaasaid links being in a staggered relation with their ends overlapping and pivotally interconnected, said links having rounded Working faces at their ends for engagement with the sprocket teeth, and Va sprocket the teeth of which have plane faces oblique to the radii for cooperating with the rounded ends of said links.

9. A chain composed of -a plurality of composite Illl-shaped links comprising interspersed hard-and soft metal laminas, said links being in a staggered .relation with their ends overlapping and pivotally interconnected, said links having rounded Working faces at their ends for engagement with the sprocket teeth, and a sprocket the teeth of which have plane faces oblique tothe radii for coperating with the rounded ends of vsaid links, the adjacent plane faces of t-Wo adjacent teeth being joined by a surface Which clears the cooperating link end so that such link end does not seat in the. bottom of the notch. formed between such two teeth. 7 i

10.'A chain composed of a plurality of lll-shaped links in'a staggered relation with j their Aends overlapping and pivotally interconnected, said links having rounded Workf', ing faces at their ends for engagement with the sprocket teeth of which they are astride,

l and a sprocket the teeth of which have plane faces oblique to the radii and engaged by rounded ends of the links which are astride such teeth.- j

11. A chain composed of a plurality of lll-shaped links in a staggered relationfwith their ends overlapping and pivotallyrinterconnected, said links having rounded working faces at their ends for engagement with the sprocket teeth of which they are astride, and a sprocket the teeth of which have plane faces oblique tothe radii and engaged by rounded ends of the links which are astride thereof, the ends of said bushing bein substantially flush with the side faces o said link, and pivot pins projecting through the bushings of overlapping links.

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13. A chain composed of a plurality of v composite lll-shaped links comprising interspersed hard and soft metal laminee9 said links being in a staggered relation with their ends overlappingand pivotally interconnected, a' pivot bushing mounted in each end of each link andA uniting the laminasl thereof,

'iin' and pivot pins projecting through the bushings of overlapping links. j Y y 14:. A chain composed of a plurality of composite lll-shaped links comprising inter-Y spersed hard and: soft metal laminae, said links being ina staggered relation with their ends overlapping and pivotally intercon nected, a pivot bushing mounted in each end of each link and uniting the laminas thereof, and pivot pins projecting through the bushings of overlapping links, each pivot pin being rigid against turning withrelation to alternate ones of those links of which it forms the pivotal interconnection s o that all the wear is between such pin and the'bushings of the other links. j

'15. A chain composed of a plurality of lao l .U-shaped links a staggered relation with their `ends overlappin connected, and pivot pins projecting through overlapping links, each pivot pin being rigid l against turning with relation to alternate ones of those links of which it forms the pivotal interconnection so that all the Wear is between such 'pin and the other links, said .v

' sprocket the teeth of which have plane faces oblique to the radii and engaged by rounded ends of the links which are astride such 15 teeth.

16. A chain `Acomposed 'of a plurality of and pivotally inter-V Y composite U-shaped links comprising interspersed hard and soft metal laminae, said links being in a staggered relation with their ends overlapping and pivotally inter. connected, said links having rounded Working faces at their ends for engagement with the sprocket teeth of which they are astride,

and a sprocket theteeth of vwhich have plane faces oblique to the radii andengaged by rounded ends of the links which are astride such teeth.

- In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 12th day of October, A. D. one thousand nine hundred and seventeen.

- ARTHUR B. TAYLOR. 

